Collaboration unites students of different disciplines at free kidney screening on Nov. 2
posted Oct. 25, 2011
Cardinal Stritch University’s Ruth S. Coleman College of Nursing is partnering with the Medical College of Wisconsin, Mount Mary College, Sanford-Brown College, Agape Community Center, and the National Kidney Foundation to implement the Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) at Agape, 6100 N. 42nd St., Milwaukee, on Nov. 2, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
KEEP is a free health screening program for adults at increased risk of developing kidney disease. Nursing students from Stritch, medical students and nephrology fellows from the Medical College, dietetic program students from Mount Mary, and medical assistant students from Sanford-Brown will screen Agape clients with diabetes or high blood pressure or with parents or siblings with diabetes, high blood pressure or kidney disease.
“It’s exceptional to have so many partners in a community service project such as this,” said April Folgert, chair of Stritch’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing-Completion program. “Many service-learning projects are done through a one-to-one partnership.”
The partnership formed when Ann Bachrach, CEO of Agape, and Stritch nursing alumna Jean Pirkey submitted a proposal to implement KEEP at Agape as part of the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Community and Urban Initiatives Pathway, which develops opportunities for medical students to become involved in the community through collaborative, interdisciplinary service projects.
“The Institute of Medicine just put out a report that gave recommendations for improving health care and one of the suggestions for improvement is having collaborative projects for all the different fields of practice to work together rather than working in silos,” Pirkey said. “So having medical college students, nursing students, dietetic students, and medical assistants from four education programs come together for KEEP at Agape is a wonderful demonstration of how they can learn together while addressing a vital community need. They will work individually but also will learn each other’s roles, and they will discover what they can accomplish together is so much larger than what they can accomplish as individuals.”
The free screening helps clients determine if they are at risk for kidney disease and provides information about risk factors and treatment plans so they can prevent or delay kidney damage. The testing involves screening of blood pressure, height, weight and body-mass index as well as blood and urine tests.